Gackle: Has Joe Thornton played his last game with the Sharks?

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San Jose Sharks’ Joe Thornton (19) celebrates after scoring goal against the Vancouver Canucks in the first period of their NHL game at the SAP Center in San Jose, California on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2017. (Josie Lepe/Bay Area News Group)

SAN JOSE — Last summer, Sharks fans waved goodbye to Patrick Marleau. They might be doing the same with Joe Thornton this summer.

When the NHL’s free agency periods opens July 1, the Sharks will find themselves in a familiar position: figuring out what to do with the most important figure in franchise history while keeping their eyes on what’s best for the team’s future.

The Sharks took a major step in transitioning away from the Thornton-Marleau led core this season, reaching the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs without the services of either player down the stretch. Marleau spent the season in Toronto; Thornton spent the last 3-plus months on the shelf after knee surgery.

In the end, the Sharks proved that life can go on without Thornton, stirring the suggestion that the team might be better off without the soon-to-be 39-year-old future Hall of Famer, who’s undergone major surgeries on both knees in the last year, at a time when the game is getting younger and faster.

Fortunately, there is a solution to general manager Doug Wilson’s latest predicament. The Sharks can keep Thornton on board without compromising the strides the team took during his absence. But it will require Thornton agreeing to a reduced role.

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The Sharks charged into the playoffs and swept the Anaheim Ducks following the Evander Kane trade, making it glaringly obvious that the team is better off without Thornton on its top line. With Kane, Joe Pavelski and Joonas Donskoi, the Sharks’ top unit was suddenly able to attack with speed, create offense in transition and keep up with the faster lines in the league.

Before Kane and Donskoi ran into injury problems against the Vegas Golden Knights, the trio combined to score 51 points in 21 games. The Sharks produced a 15-5-1 record over that span.

Reintegrating Thornton onto the top line would undercut this transformation. Thornton and Pavelski, 33, were the slowest top-line duo in the NHL last season. Not everyone on the roster needs to be a track star, but both of those guys move like Zambonis, compounding each player’s weakest attribute.

The piano tied to Pavelski’s waist was much less noticeable once he got split up from Thornton and started playing with Kane.

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The easiest solution to this problem is to drop Thornton down to the third line where his surgically repaired knees can skate for 15-something minutes a night instead of 18-plus. The Sharks could still make use of Thornton where he’s most dangerous — on the power play — while strengthening their center alignment and creating significant mismatches further down in the lineup.

Teams that win Stanley Cups tend to send out really strong third lines and a Timo Meier, Thornton, Chris Tierney trio would give coaches across the NHL headaches.

That said, Wilson will be juggling a lot of moving pieces if he re-enters contract negotiations with Thornton this summer. The Sharks will undoubtedly be making a run at New York Islanders superstar John Tavares, the biggest unrestricted free agent to hit the open market in more than a decade, and they should be able to give him an appetizing offer with roughly $20 million available in cap space. They’ll also be looking to re-sign Kane, whose stock price is rising due to his run with the Sharks. Tomas Hertl and Tierney are both restricted free agents.

Additionally, Logan Couture will be eligible for a contract extension, something the Sharks should jump on considering that he drove the team’s bus for much of the season.

How Thornton fits into the puzzle might depend on how the rest of the dominos fall. But now it’s clear that the Sharks won’t be a true contender if they’re banking on a 39-year old with knee issues to play a top-line role.
San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton, left, collides with teammate Mikkel Boedker, center, and Winnipeg Jets’ Andrew Copp, right, during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

Ultimately, Thornton’s future in San Jose will depend on what he wants out of his twilight years. If Thornton is determined to be a top-line player again next season, he’ll probably need to cut ties with the Sharks and join a non-playoff team. The contenders aren’t going to slow themselves down by skating Thornton in a first-line role.

But knowing Thornton, his top priority is probably to capture the Stanley Cup, the only thing missing from his resumé, and his best opportunity to do that might still be in San Jose. If the Sharks land Tavares, re-sign Kane and skate Thornton in a depth role, they’ll instantly be among the favorites to win the Cup next season. Even with two of them, they should be in position to contend.

The risk of asking Thornton to re-sign in a reduced role is that he might find a better opportunity to win the Cup as a depth player elsewhere. Wilson needs to be prepared for that reality if this is the approach he decides to take.

After all, Thornton does have a longtime former teammate up in Toronto who might want some company.